More than one way of doing evangelism” says Church Army report out today

Church Army published today its long awaited report on the theology and practice of evangelism - Inside Out. It argues the case for “specialist, gifted, called and recognised evangelists in the ministry of the church.”

The report has been widely welcomed by those involved in the education and training of evangelists such as Bishop Jonathan Gledhill, Warden of the College of Evangelist who sees the report as making a significant contribution to the thinking around mission and evangelism.

George Lings, one of the key figures involved in the recent Mission-shaped Church report adds: “Where can you find a concise, accessible, yet broad look at evangelism? Church Army have given the church a valuable report full of principles, best practice, summaries and questions for groups. It also puts the rarely heard case for specialist evangelists and pushes our thinking forwards on these issues.”

The Church of England’s National Mission and Evangelism Adviser the Revd Paul Bayes commented “Church Army can be confident about the future direction of its evangelistic ministry.This report makes a significant contribution to the thinking and practice of the Anglican Church in mission and evangelism. The report relates evangelism creatively and clearly to the whole mission of God. It provides theological and practical foundations for understanding the ministry of the evangelist in today's changing context. I strongly recommend it to all those who want to think and pray more deeply about the evangelistic work of the church in our generation.

The report was produced by a working party chaired by Revd David Jeans, Principal of Church Army’s Wilson Carlile College of Evangelism. It also included the Rt Revd Tim Thornton (Bishop of Sherborne) and Revd Dr Gavin Wakefield (Director of Mission and Pastoral Studies, St John’s College, Durham) and Revd Canon Philip King (former Secretary of the Board of Mission) as well as serving evangelists ensuring the combined insights of theory and practice. The report also drew on specialist research and publications on the theme of mission and evangelism. Its main thrust is a detailed and coherent argument for the recognition of a specialist ministry of the evangelist as an essential component of the ministry of the church in the mission context of the 21st century. The report pulls no punches about what is required, but makes space for discussion questions about the future shape and role of evangelism and mission to prompt further debate.

The report calls for the evangelism to be “recognised, supported and resourced by the church in our post-Christian and missionary context a ministry that the church cannot do without”, and highlights, with supporting case studies, the distinct characteristics of the ministry of evangelists as:

• A specialist and distinctive ministry within the people of God.
• A ministry that involves word, action and presence, but which will have a varied balance between them in different contexts.
• A ministry that seeks to bring people to a living faith in Jesus Christ, while also being concerned with promoting the values of the Kingdom of God.
• A ministry that seeks to enable others in evangelism.
• A ministry that is exercised collaboratively and in pursuit of good teamwork.
• A ministry that seeks to be exercised at the boundary of church and world, and beyond that boundary.
• A ministry that has special concern for the marginalised and socially excluded.
• A ministry that is both accountable and a challenge to the Church.
• A ministry that involves risk.
• A ministry that has Christ as its model and inspiration.

The report clearly identifies the main challenges for evangelists as being the need to preserve the distinctiveness of evangelism within mission, while recognising the overlap between the two and the need to recognise the diversity of approach required from evangelists in a post-Christian culture. “We must get away from any idea that there is only one way of doing evangelism, and have the freedom to affirm different approaches” states section 6 of the report. The section goes on to stress the importance of evangelists being effective “where the church is not….and recognising God’s activity in the lives, environment and social context of ordinary people.”

Philip Johanson OBE, Chief Secretary of Church Army today contents that “effective mission and evangelism and church happen when the church is ready to be turned inside out with evangelists often spearheading that movement. The report does not claim to be the “final statement from Church Army on these issues” but makes a number of key recommendations for action that we hope the church will take on Board. We have been encouraged by the welcome the report has been given.”

The title “Inside Out” has its origins in a remark made by Wilson Carlile the founder of CA who responded to the Archbishop of Canterbury when accused of wanting to turn the church upside down – replied, no your Grace inside out. David Jeans adds; “The Church Army has its origins in the work and vision of Wilson Carlile in enabling working men and women to be evangelists, and to mobilise the whole people of God in the task of evangelism.”

As for what next, Report Author David Jeans is clear: “We long for the wider church to make the recruitment, training and deployment of specialist evangelists a priority issue. Against the background of the recent Mission-shaped church debate, we hope that this report will be considered by Bishops, General Synod and others to aid and inform their understanding of the value of the ministry of the specialist evangelists. I hope that this report makes a contribution to the advancement of the Gospel and of the Kingdom of God through the evangelistic ministry of Church Army and the wider church.”

Copies of the report “Inside Out” can be obtained from Sue Melbourne, The Wilson Carlile College of Evangelism, 50 Cavendish St, Sheffield S3 7RZ for £4 including p&p (cash with order cheques payable to “Church Army”) or by e-mailing s.melbourne@churcharmy.org.uk or telephoning 0114 2787020.

A PDF of the report can now be downloaded by clicking here